"The heresy of one age becomes the orthodoxy of the next."
Helen Keller's wisdom quoted above (Optimism, 1903) has proven true throughout the history of Christianity, at least in the eyes of some. Martin Luther, after all, was excommunicated as a heretic by Pope Leo X in 1520. Just shy of 500 years later, Luther's excommunication still has not been rescinded. Yet without Luther's heresy, we Presbyterians arguably wouldn't be around today.
Heresy is, simply put, a belief that falls outside the bounds of what the Church has defined as orthodoxy. But especially in the first few centuries after the resurrection, there was no official, institutional 'Church' to decide what was heresy and what was orthodoxy. There were just people of faith trying to make sense of Jesus, the resurrection, the stories circulating around. Through this season of Eastertide, we will be exploring some of the different ways people tried to make sense of Jesus. Many of those eventually helped to define things we take for granted today, like the Apostles' and Nicene Creeds, the idea of the Trinity or the nature of Christ as both human and divine.
As we explore some of the heretics of early Christianity, we may find some of yesterday's heresies have become today's orthodoxy, or perhaps that some of yesterday's heresies help us clarify our own beliefs, much as they did for the early Church. We begin this Sunday with an exploration of the Donatists. If you find this topic piquing your interest, the sermon series is based in part on a book by one of my seminary professors and her spouse (Catherine and Justo Gonzalez)--Heretics for Armchair Theologians. Our scripture text this week will be Ephesians 4:1-6, 17a, 22-32.
Easter Cantata
Thank you to our fantastic choir for a beautiful Easter cantata to kick off the 50 days of Easter. The cantata is now available online to download or stream here, or you can email Brian to request a CD copy. You can also view and download all the beautiful Easter photos here.
Morning Pointe Visit
Youth Group will meet at Morning Pointe on Wednesday evening, 6 April, at 6:30pm to visit and sing hymns with the residents. Please bring some money for dinner and we will go out to eat together after we sing.
Summer Mission Trip
We have the option of joining with First Presbyterian Church, Greeneville, on a mission trip to New Orleans this summer. The trip will leave on Saturday, 25 June, and return on Wednesday, 6 July. We will be staying at First Presbyterian Church, New Orleans, and the cost is anticipated to be around $150 inclusive of meals and travel. The trip is open to anyone who is a rising ninth greater or older this summer (which means we would welcome college students and adults as well!).
April Collection Items
Please remember the Greene County Food Bank and Samaritan's Purse collections for the month of March when you're doing your shopping. March collection items are:
- Food Bank: Peanut Butter
- Samaritan's Purse: T-shirts
